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About
GYBN Zimbabwe (ZYBN)
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in southern Africa that has rich biodiversity in its varied landscapes and its protected area network, which covers 28% of the total land area. Zimbabwe lies within the tropics but due to high elevation, its climate is considered sub-tropical. Zimbabwe's biodiversity comprises of plantations, protected indigenous forests, woodlands, bushlands, and wooded grasslands. These resident ecosystems, with a favorable climate, produce a diverse range of food crops, commercial crops, fruits, and livestock.
The biodiversity in Zimbabwe faces various threats that need to be dealt with. Forest diversity has been declining due to the expansion of agriculture, unsustainable exploitation of wood (used for fuel), infrastructural development, invasive alien species, and climate change. Action that has been implemented to protect biodiversity has been slow due to a number of various challenges such as lack of adequate financial resources.
Our Story
Following the opportunity to participate in the first GYBN Capacity Building Workshop in Africa held in August 2017, ZYBN's national chapter coordinator, Prisca Daka, established ZYBN on 26 October 2017. The inspiring, week-long African workshop gathered young people from 18 African countries to discuss and debate the central role in which the youth in Africa play in halting biodiversity loss now and ensuring biodiversity protection in the future. ZYBN was therefore established out of the need to provide a local platform in Zimbabwe for sharing knowledge and to give young people a chance to actively participate in biodiversity conservation, advocate for the mainstreaming of biodiversity into all sectors and support government efforts.
Our Vision
The Zimbabwe Youth Biodiversity Network envisions a world where people understand, value, and conserve the diversity of life on Earth.
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Our Mission
Our mission is to build a national coalition of individuals and youth organizations to halt the loss of biodiversity through mobilizing and empowering young people whilst raising national awareness on the importance of biodiversity.
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Objectives
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To raise awareness about biodiversity and nature conservation in Zimbabwe.
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To create a national network of young people and environmental organizations in Zimbabwe to foster participation in biodiversity conservation.
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To popularize the aims and purpose of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and to promote its objectives amongst the youth and citizens within Zimbabwe.
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Strategic Priorities
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To develop and implement capacity building, outreach and awareness raising activities.
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To create a platform for sharing knowledge, skills and experiences on biodiversity issues and conservation.
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To engage and work with other environmental institutions on biodiversity conservation at local, national and international levels.
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To support young people and communities in the creation and scaling of innovative solutions for biodiversity conservation.
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To participate in biodiversity conservation and policy formulation affecting the three components of biological diversity: genetic resources, ecosystems and endangered species of Zimbabwe’s flora and fauna.
Sponsors
